Shortly after issuing it, India today withdrew a statement indicating preparations at Rashtrapati Bhavan for a possible visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, as Dhaka and Delhi continue discussions over the proposed trip.
In a press release issued this afternoon, the Indian President’s Secretariat had said the Change of Guard Ceremony at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan would not take place on Saturday (August 22) due to a full rehearsal for the ceremonial welcome of the Bangladeshi prime minister.
The statement was posted at 2:25pm by India’s Press Information Bureau but was later recalled. No official comment was immediately available from officials in Dhaka or Delhi.
A possible visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been at the centre of discussions in the foreign ministries of the two neighbours. Officials had earlier said the visit could take place in the third week of August.
On August 16, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said discussions over the visit had been complicated by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s press appearance on August 5.